The CEO of ERTICO – ITS Europe says the organisation is taking an active role in the development of micromobility as part of the diverse mobility mix to ensure their safe and efficient use across the continent.
Speaking ahead of a major “Focus On” Partnership event on the subject in London tomorrow, Thursday 7 December, Joost Vantomme explained that ERTICO is using its experience and expertise in innovation through technology, standards and regulation to help manage and promote the uptake of new transport modes. ERTICO is organising this event in close collaboration with the UK’s Transport Technology Forum with whom it signed an engagement plan at the ITS European Congress in Lisbon, May 2023.
“We don’t yet have an official definition of all these kinds of vehicles – ebikes, escooters, speed pedelecs, cargo bikes, tandems, velomobiles and their docking stations – it’s all very much market driven,” he said. “Maybe that’s good for pioneering new things, not stigmatising too much through regulation, but there’s a call more and more for increased oversight from authorities.
“I will, in my speech, highlight the technology and regulatory elements to cook the meal the basic goal of safety, sustainability, and getting people towards diverse mobility modes.”
The event, hosted jointly with the TTF, looks at a wide range of low-speed vehicles using human power and/or electrical assistance. It will look at the role these vehicles should play in urban and suburban mobility, their benefits and issues to be addressed, and the role in Intelligent Transport Systems both in terms of facilitating sustainable and seamless mobility and also in terms of multimodal traffic and road space management.
“We’ll talk about the dynamic usage of space on the roads, and issues like safe parking, but also the digital infrastructure,” Mr Vantomme explained. “That brings us to our technology angle, to the angle of sharing data and the potential for innovation through ITS. We’ll look at technology – which is our bread and butter – alongside the infrastructure, as well as user confidence, projects, policies and legislation.”
The Focus On event will also feature panel sessions with micromobility stakeholders sharing their views on these important topics while a third session will focus on the regulatory options that cities and national decision-makers already have at their disposal. It takes place at Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, NW1 2BJ, London from 10am-4pm tomorrow (7 December).
(File Picture – TfL)
